Wi-Fi and Bluetooth not working after Windows 10 May 2019 Update? Here's how to fix it

Are you one of those consumers who’s having WIFI connectivity issue after installing Windows 10 version 1903?

After installing Windows 10 version 1903, some users are reporting losing Wi-Fi connectivity.

The Windows 10 May 2019 is available, but as with most major upgrades, it’s brought with it a selection of bugs.

While the problems highlighted by Microsoft don’t seem as severe as those that affected some earlier feature updates, there are still some notable issues.

After installing the update, also known as Windows 10 version 1903, some users are reporting losing Wi-Fi connectivity and no longer be able to connect to Bluetooth devices.

The loss of Wi-Fi connectivity is affecting Windows 10 PCs running an “outdated” Qualcomm driver for their Wi-Fi.
Microsoft has said it will prevent Windows 10 1903 being automatically offered to affected PCs until an updated version of the driver is installed.

In the meantime, it recommends that users “download and install an updated Wi-Fi driver from your device manufacturer”, which Microsoft says should be available.

Version 1903 also suffers from an issue that is leaving some PCs unable to discover or connect to Bluetooth devices. The problem stems from compatibility issues with some driver versions for Realtek and Qualcomm Bluetooth radios. As with the previous issue, affected machines won’t be offered the update until the driver has been updated to a compatible version.

Microsoft is working with Realtek and Qualcomm to release new drivers to resolve this issue via Windows Update. In the meantime, Microsoft recommends checking with your device manufacturer whether an updated driver is available. For Qualcomm drivers, you will need to install a driver version greater than 10.0.1.11.For Realtek drivers, you will need to install a driver version greater than 1.5.1011.0.

Microsoft has also warned that installations of the May 2019 Update may fail on PCs that have an external USB device or SD memory card attached.

Affected machines will get the error message “This PC can’t be upgraded to Windows 10”. To work around this problem, Microsoft recommends removing all external media, such as USB devices and SD cards, from your computer and restarting the installation of the update. It says it is working on a fix.

The May 2019 Update also suffers from a host of smaller bugs, such as AMD RAID driver incompatibility blocking the update; possible increased battery drain due to an issue with a range of Intel Display Audio device drivers; instances of gamma ramps, color profiles, and night light settings not working; audio not always working with Dolby Atmos headphones and home theater; display brightness changes not being recognized on some systems with Intel display drivers; duplicate folders and documents showing in user profile directory; compatibility issues with older versions of BattlEye anti-cheat software; some D3D applications and games failing to enter full-screen mode on rotated displays; not being able to launch Intel RealSense SR300 or Intel RealSense S200 camera apps.

You can read more information about each of these issues on Microsoft’s support site.

If you think your machine might be affected by any of the issues above, Microsoft recommends not manually installing the Windows 10 May 2019 Update via the Update and Security page in the Settings app or using the Windows Media Creation tool.

If you want to delay getting the Windows 10 May 2019 Update, check out TechRepublic’s guide.

With the release of the May 2019 Update, users of Windows 10 Home should be able to defer feature updates like the May 2019 Update for longer than possible in the past, though if you’re still running the Windows 10 April 2018 Update build, version 1803, Microsoft may start automatically pushing the update to your PC from June.

The May 2019 Update offers a variety of new features and tweaks aimed at home users and businesses.

Key additions include a simplified Start menu layout, a streamlined search option, the virtual assistant Cortana being spun off from Search, and new sign-in options for Windows Hello. Meanwhile, Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise and Education users get a simple way to test programs in an isolated virtual environment using Windows Sandbox. Read TechRepublic’s cheat sheet for a full overview of what’s new.